One of the silver linings of the Iraq war boondoggle is new and innovative treatments for PTSD for returning war vets, which can then be applied to our certain variety of PTSD.

Here's a story from the NYTimes about the use of MDMA, aka "ecstasy," a party drug, is being used to great effect treating war vets with war-related trauma.

I took "E" once at a party about 10 years ago. I didn't like it because it dropped my defenses. Of course, that was in an uncontrolled environment. I can see how this might be helpful for exploring trauma within a safe environment.

There is more and more research with ethnogens and psychoactive substances going on now for treating mental health issues. Besides E, there is some research into using psilocybin (mushrooms)in helping treat anxiety issues with cancer patients and such.And hate to break it to you, but drooping of your defenses is going to happen in any situation using these substances, controlled or other wise. And from my understanding that is the primary mode of action and pretty much the whole point of taking them. From what Ive read, the good you get out of these drugs comes from the fact that they force you, no matter if you want to or not, to really wrestle with things. They make you really see things in a very truthful manner, no delusions that you can hide behind. And sometimes the truth is very unpleasant, disturbing, and even excruciatingly painful. But sometimes a strong medicine that tastes disgusting is needed for a virulent illness. So be wary of that if anyone might want to try this in the future if it were to become more available.

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“How'd you like to gaze at a beer can throughout eternity? It might not be so bad. There'd be nothing to fear.”

Before I continue...I am not a medical professional in anyway...everything I say next is just from personal experience.

I have taken MDMA many many times. It is an amazing drug for opening up and talking about stuff. It makes you feel more 'loving and peaceful' and more able to discuss things without feeling under attack. But you will say things and think things (not necessarily bad) that you might not be used to or want to. It does access something inside that makes you want to talk openly and honestly.

It also makes you extremely tactile which many might not enjoy or feel comfortable with. It can also make you feel extremely horny.

I am in no way advocating it for anyone, I am just saying what it does to me. And of course it is illegal. Another thing to bear in mind is that the 'comedown' the next day can cause depression and anxiety.

And in case any law enforcement agencies are reading this, I no longer use MDMA in any form

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"This is the story of how we begin to remember."

I injested mushrooms this eve with friends. I haven't done something like this in a very long time. I live in a remote jungle..I sleep outdoors under a elevated Hawaiian style house completely off grid and its a beautiful night.I was going to pass but then I remembered this thread.Oblivia in nice.

A couple of things. I have been in what I consider successful treatment for PTSD. My story is on here in previous posts.

One thing the article did not go into that I would like to point out is likely. The doses they gave the patient are likely not anywhere near what is taken for recreation purposes. This is like with Adderal and Ritalin.

There seems to be a constant search in this area. My own treatment largely centered around Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (talk) and antidepressants to take the edge off and sleep at night. The therapist that got things to work also spent time getting me not to give details but to focus on learning to control my physical reactions to fear and anxiety. Once I became adept at doing that, we started approaching what had happened with frequent breaks to apply techniques to control my body. This mixed in some art therapy while describing different scenes. Finally, I was instructed to write out the events in a journal. That was HARD. Then we read it out in therapy, applying the body control and discussing what the events and my actions meant. I then put the journal away and very rarely if ever look at it. I now find myself rarely experiencing intrusive and uncontrolled flashbacks. Also, through prayer guided by AA, I came to a point that I could forgive my perp. Very long journey.

Right now, I am focusing on learning to trust others and form bonds without fear of betrayal.

Given the preceding recounting, I see the ecstasy as a way of replacing the body control techniques. This is NOT something where you should look up your local drug dealer and start taking E and it will cure you like taking aspirin for a headache. The problem I see with the technique is that on a long term basis, when the flashbacks have returned, I have been able to apply my techniques, get through them and generally do not have continuous symptoms. For those that have used the E to work things through, what do they do...get a fix?

Edited by catfish86 (12/01/1207:59 AM)

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God grant meThe Serenity to accept the things I cannot change,The Courage to change the things I can,And the Wisdom to know the difference.

I injested mushrooms this eve with friends. I haven't done something like this in a very long time. I live in a remote jungle..I sleep outdoors under a elevated Hawaiian style house completely off grid and its a beautiful night.I was going to pass but then I remembered this thread.Oblivia in nice.

If you read this I hope you'll PM me. I'm not interested in mushrooms, but I am interested in hearing about Hawaii!! I've lived with locals there but they're friends with my family and I'd rather avoid contacting them. I'd much prefer to communicate about Hawaii with another survivor.

It’s funny never done X however all your typical psychotropics I have plenty of experience with. Most of my drug use was in my teens and twenties however recently tried salvia, nothing like it, definitely not a party drug, it’s what forced me to deal with the same stuff as everybody here, 40 years of denial requires the use of strong stuff! Please also understand that I in no way condone the use of drugs in any situation, except coffee and mj. You have to understand for most people serious doses of serious psychotropics is not a good thing, and you never know what the outcome may be. Many moons ago me and my best friend then dosed in excess of 2400µg of LSD; let’s just say things for me were really weird, however my friend wasn’t so lucky, one minute we’re talking about how this is some good shit and the next he’s picking up a peach crate full of CD’s and throwing them across the room, exploding into a million rainbows of colour, nothing can compare to 100+ CD’s reflecting the sunlight into limitless rainbows, still one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen, then he literally ran through a set of French doors, I didn’t see it, or see anything else from him until about 2 days later when he’s released from the hospital, latter I found out he was running around the neighborhood screaming about the Pittsburg Steelers until the cops and paramedics carted him off. We both laughed about it, but he remembers nothing and the idiot says that the 103 stiches were worth it? The thing is that at these levels of drugs your mind reaches a cognitive dissidence of its own, because your normal conscious self is now able to see your subconscious and both the parallel and disparate realities come into play, merge into one and start the process all over again, it’s really the same thing, with everything else I’ve done mushrooms, mesc, peyote, PCP, DMT, any of that stuff, maybe the process is little different but the outcome is always the same. That’s where salvia is different; my thought processes are as clear as sit here typing this, while visions are put before me, true cognitive dissidence. This stuff is powerful, not to be used lightly, at the dosages I’m talking about here it is the only thing that I’ve ever done where the fear during the experience at least equals and maybe exceeds that of my abuse, we’re talking sheer terror, dying while still being alive! For me there were no bad after affects, it’s all been good; even stopped drinking and have no desire to use any of these types of drugs again, like I said coffee & mj only.

This is a potent herb please tread carefully.

Cee

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"it has never yet been discovered how to make man unknow his knowledge, or unthink his thoughts"

Human,I do feel much more calmness in my gut after the mushroom event. Over thirty-five years of colon constrictions and intestional malabsorbtion problems...after disclosure I was able to associate all the dysfunction and daily stuff to the assault I survived.I moved to Big Island 1 1/2 years ago and was still a mess. I first lived in a elevated hut with sleeping loft and outdoor kitchen (island style) under the hut.All solar and rainwater catchment (not potable), the outdoor shower and bathroom were also island style..on demand propane hot water with solar 12 volt pump system. It was on a exotic bird sanctuary with parrots of every species and monkeys, ostrich, giant tortose, peacocks were everywhere and tons of chickens and game birds. The sanctuary also has every kind of fruit tree allowed here in Hawaii and many exotic fruits. The tropical jungle environ is so beautiful in this off grid community. Lava and cinder roads with pot holes like kiddie pools. When I walk or bike to my kid sister and nieces home that one has a seasonal river and some serious ponds...the volcano and rising away from the ocean vistas are special places for me to smoke a cig or disassociate in a healthy and healing direction.I have over 3K fotos on some three e albums and facebook. Oh, and at the bird sanctuary, my sisters' friend owns it, I paid no rent or work trade. Mara is a unique woman and she taught me about her birds and the jungle here. Her monkey Mona and I became good buds and I spoiled her..she has a real bad attitude but I found her weakness. She wanted friendship and attention. I took fruit smoothies and treats she is allowed to eat all the time..she would bang her cage if she heard my voice.As monkeys do she wanted to see or touch everything, mp3 to a pair of magnets...I entertained her curiosity and coffee in the morning was a trip..she would rub coffee all over her body...she did the same with my handrolled cig butts also but would eat a MJ butt. I moved from there to a retreat/day spa and paid $450 a month living off grid in one of two artist cottages. I had access to everything and my daily strolls thru the gardens were soothing and filled with beauty. I named all the gardens.While living there Sherri, the owner and another friend of the sister, she also had a dwarf donkey and white billy goat, rabbits and chickens and orchids everywhere among the flowers and tropical trees/palms. She also had her three acre land ringed with two dozen giant Rainbow Eucliptus trees. Google an image of these multi-colored beauties. I now live in a outdoor, sheltered and dry living area...like ful on comforts local style..separate living, cooking and sleeping areas with bamboo screened walls. Flush toilet and on demand hot water via propane. Everyone visiting loves it. I sleep to the sound of a gazillion Koki frogs and jungle night birds..nice for those night terrors that plague me...and wake to the daily rain squalls that sweep in from the Pacific Ocean. The song birds and chickens visit each morn as I view my internet stuff on this phone..smoking cigs and easing into the day. The sun usuall burns the cloud cover and as they unload their water a sea breeze lifts them over the volcano and I head out for the day if I am not on some kind of meltdown.Many of my friends here are all communal in hosting gatherings. Yesterday thirty folk met over at a friends to give Mike a Hawaiian Sending as he passed into the next realm two Fridays ago on December 9th. I smoked over twenty pounds of local pork and chicken using the local wild guava tree. This side of Big Island is the wet side, The Puna, and gets an average of 18ft/6m of rain anually. But even today the temp is 78°f, shorts and sandals year round. I don't own a real pair of shoes and wear cheap flip-flops called slippers here. I wear hemp instead of cotton now..my sister has made and sold hemp clothing for over twenty years here and on Maui..now on internet. I pay her full price too..its the best for tropical weather.Anyway...the Big Island is nicknamed The Healing Island and if you let it this place can help cure what ails you.I eat local farmers market vegies and drink rain water filtered with a UV system and harvest from the jungle many wild fruits and medicinal plants...now tangerine and citrus fruits. I still have the forearm scrape from tumbling out of a avacado tree I was shaking...sometimes I use a three foot branch like a boomerang tossed into the higher limbs to drop a few...I learned that long ago knocking down peaches as a kid.So..living here has brought me some lifelong saught after inner peace...and when the psychotic/neurotic SHTF I can get to mid-line quicker.I hope you and others reading this can spend some time on this island and experience a different Hawaii than any of the other islands...this is also a very affordable place for someone on limited funds..not much work here in normal work opportunities like on the mainland. Off grid rentals here average $350 to $600 dollars a month and even less for work trade which is abundant but some are hell..craigslist has many great opportunities..everyone uses it here. Two and three bdrm homes average $750 to $1,100 for off grid living. I know of a bitchin solar/beautiful octagon with attached pods and sleeping loft..all custom woods and artistic tile work..with a pond full of Talipia all for $650...its called The Hobit House and is on the bird sanctuary...paradise!Gotta go the the farmers market today and the soft rain will be cooling on the six mile bike ride..I will see my sis there selling hemp clothing and visit my buddies there..my sister has intro'ed me to locals all over the island..and I have made many friends and aquaintances in my journeys here..I buy vegies/friut and breads from my favorite farmer and chat my way round...I love the food venders too!Aloha and sending you all Peace and Harmony.………_____---*---_____………

For those that have used the E to work things through, what do they do...get a fix?

From what I understand, its kinda a one and done kind of deal. You go to one or 2 sessions, take the drug, and work through stuff while it works its magic. Its supposed to have long term consequences and probably permanent change in people who take it that stay with you. It doesn't deal with the symptoms, it deals directly with the problem and kinda fixes it. Or it permanently diminishes the symptoms to very manageable levels. Of course the permanency of its effects also depends on the will of the person going through with the therapy. And even if it is a kind of magic cure all, the biggest downside is the experience of dealing with crap while under the influence of this stuff is its very VERY painful. It magnifies the hellish experience of reliving your trauma by tenfold, and really forces you to deal with it. So the trade off really becomes a much more permanent solution to your issues and pain in exchange for a wild and probably VERY unpleasant ride.

Edited by Wheatthins (12/03/1206:30 PM)

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“How'd you like to gaze at a beer can throughout eternity? It might not be so bad. There'd be nothing to fear.”

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